Category: News Releases

News Releases

Kalamazoo College Begins 2012-13 Academic Year

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Class of 2016 Convocation held Wed., Sept. 5, 3:00 p.m. on the K “Quad”

Continuing a beloved tradition, Kalamazoo College’s Convocation 2012 begins at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5. This colorful event on the campus Quad, which some have called “reverse commencement,” is free and open to the public. It comes complete with music, faculty processional, and an international flag ceremony, and serves as a formal induction into Kalamazoo College for the incoming Class of 2016.

Approximately 340 first-year students will recite the “Ritual of Recognition for New Students” and receive their charge from President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran.

Attorney and Toyota Co. executive Chris Reynolds, a member of the Kalamazoo College Class of 1983, will deliver the keynote address. A reception for students, families, faculty, staff, and other guests follows on the Upper Quad behind Stetson Chapel. In case of rain, the Convocation will move indoors to Stetson Chapel.

First-year students will move into their residence halls earlier that morning. Sophomores, seniors, and the few juniors who are not on study abroad during the Fall Quarter arrive this weekend. Classes for the 2012-13 academic year start Monday Sept. 10, and last day of Fall Quarter is Wednesday, Nov. 21.

About 40 percent of the incoming class comes from outside Michigan, including 25 other states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-five students come from China, Jamaica, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam. Another 24 visiting international students come for one year from Botswana, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, and Spain.

Ninety-four first-year students (28%) self-report as students of color.

All new students will receive an extensive orientation through the College’s nationally recognized “First-Year Experience” program.

The College’s unofficial enrollment is approximately 1,380 students; official census numbers will be available in a few weeks.

Fall Quarter also marks first use of the renovated Kalamazoo College Athletic Fields on West Michigan Ave. at Burrows Rd, the result of a $16 million renovation. The Hornet Women’s Soccer team will have the first event, playing DePauw University Friday at 7 p.m. under the lights and on the artificial turf of MacKenzie field. The Hornet Football team kicks off its first home game Saturday against Manchester College at 1 p.m. at Angell Field, also sporting new artificial turf. Both teams will use the entirely new K Field House. Spectators, news media, game officials, and coaches will use the brand new Stadium Services building that houses a press box, concession, restrooms, and more.

Other important events this fall include groundbreaking for the new building for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Homecoming weekend, October 19-21.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, leadership development, and both international and intercultural engagement. K Kalamazoo College does more in four years, so students can do more in a lifetime.

Kalamazoo is Among “Colleges That Change Lives”

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Colleges That Change Lives book cover“If you were to build your own liberal arts college, you’d look closely at Kalamazoo College for ideas about how to do it. That’s because other colleges offer some of the same distinctive features you’ll find at Kalamazoo, but few integrate all of them so thoughtfully to create life-changing experiences.”

So begins the chapter on Kalamazoo College in the 2013-14 edition of “Colleges that Change Lives: 40 Schools that Will Change the Way You Think about College.”

Colleges That Change Lives (Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143122302 On-Sale Date: August 28, 2012; 352 pages; $17.00) was first published in 1996 by Loren Pope, former education editor of the New York Times. Pope was also the founder of the College Placement Bureau, a college administrator, and the author of “Looking Beyond the Ivy League.”

Pope published updates to his book in 2000 and 2006. He died in 2008.

The fourth and most recent edition has been updated by Hilary Masell Oswald a journalist who writes about education, architecture and design, and public policy. Her work has appeared in Newsday, the Chicago Tribune, Edutopia, and other publications and websites.

She anticipates the questions that prospective students and their parents will have and provides the answers. Topics include:

• The look and feel of the campus

• Quality of dining hall food

• Percentage of students who study abroad

• Percentage of students who go to grad school

• Average SAT/ACT scores

• What professors have to say about their schools

“We are thrilled to be included once again in Colleges That Change Lives,” said Kalamazoo College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Eric Staab. “Prospective students and their parents have more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States to choose from. This book helps them cut through the clutter and move beyond the ratings and rankings to find a college that is a good, affordable fit.”

Kalamazoo College has been included in each of the book’s four editions. Other colleges in the fourth edition include Allegheny (Pa.), Beloit (Wis.), Clark (Mass.), Hendrix (Ark.), Rhodes (Tenn.), Southwestern University (Texas), and University of Puget Sound (Wash.). Hope College and, for the first time, Hillsdale, are the only other Michigan schools included.

Oswald, as did Pope before her, visited K’s campus to conduct extensive interviews with students, faculty and staff.

She cites characteristics of the K-Plan —the College’s multilayered academic program—as a key to K’s success. These include a solid liberal arts curriculum, study abroad, experiential learning opportunities such as service-learning and leadership development, and a Senior Individualized Project.

“The K-Plan makes so much sense,” says Professor of Biology Binney Girdler in the book. “The first two years are the students’ foundation. The third year, they go far. The fourth year, they go deep. By the end of their time here, we’re willing to coauthor papers with them. That transformation—I’ll never get tired of it.”

According to Oswald, “What happens to students here is remarkable,” and K faculty members are a big reason why. “Over and over again,” she says, “students rave about their teachers, even as they complain about the amount of work. That’s a sign of good teaching.”

As proof a value for a Kalamazoo College education, Oswald cites Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) test results. CLA tests freshmen and seniors for their critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, and written communications skills.

“CLA examiners compare results across a variety of four-year colleges to answer the question: Are student really learning anything?” writes Oswald. “At Kalamazoo they are. CLA said the students performed well above expected.”

Dean of Students Sarah Westfall describes the K student body: “We have a student body of individuals. There’s very little herd mentality. They feel a call to activism and learning, but they’re also garden variety kids—some from small towns, working-class families, and a good number are first-generation college kids.”

Oswald concludes her chapter on Kalamazoo College with her own observation about its students by saying they are “enthusiast about their learning and thoughtful about their responsibilities to their community. A few conversations with current students will convince you that Kalamazoo’s component parts are remarkable, but if ever there were a place where the effect is greater than the sum of its parts, that place in Kalamazoo College.”

K is a proud partner of CTCL Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. Separate from the book, CTCL Inc. works to dispel publicly held myths about college choice by hosting information sessions nationwide and coordinating outreach efforts with high school counselors and college counseling agencies.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, leadership development, and both international and intercultural engagement. Its 1,400 students hail from 30 states and 24 countries. Kalamazoo College does more in four years, so students can do more in a lifetime.

Former K professor and administrator, Dr. Wen Chao Chen, dies at age 92

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Former K Professor and Administrator Wen Chao Chen
Dr. Wen Chao Chen was a pillar of the Kalamazoo College and Greater Kalamazoo communities.

Wen Chao Chen, Ph.D., a farmer’s son from rural China who became a celebrated Kalamazoo College educator and civic leader, died August 13, 2012, at Friendship Village in Kalamazoo. He was 92.

“Dr. Wen Chao Chen was an extraordinarily loving person,” said Kalamazoo College President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. “He especially loved Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo community. He worked tirelessly for decades to help make each the best it could be.

“Dr. Chen had a brilliant mind and a gift for bringing people together. He often said he felt fortunate to be embraced by the community, but the people who continue to be touched by his legacy know just how much his life enriched all of ours.”

Chen joined the faculty of Kalamazoo College in 1950 as professor of political science. During his 36-year career with the College, he also served as librarian, director of academic services, dean of special services, vice president, acting president, and executive director of the L. Lee Stryker Center. He also helped establish the Heyl Scholarship program, which brings outstanding area high school graduates to Kalamazoo College to study science and to Western Michigan University to study nursing.

Throughout his career, Chen was a mentor to countless Kalamazoo College students, faculty, staff, alumni, and several presidents. His impact was so significant that he was repeatedly honored by the College. He was a recipient of Kalamazoo College’s Weimer K. Hicks Award, which honors current or retired employees who have provided significant long-term contributions to the College, and was named a Fellow of the College, Emeritus.

Shortly before his 1986 retirement, a faculty resolution acknowledged the College’s “long history of debts owed” to Dr. Chen,” his “steady hand” as “a source of security and reassurance,” and his commitment to K as “a treasured resource.”

In 1998, Chen’s friends and former students provided more than $1 million to endow the Wen Chao Chen Chair in East Asian Social Sciences at the College. In 2000, he and wife Lilia, a long-time substitute teacher in Kalamazoo Public Schools and a gifted artist, created a scholarship fund for art students.

During and after his years at Kalamazoo College, Dr. Chen was also active in local civic, business, and cultural matters. He co-founded the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music and helped establish the Kalamazoo Network, which developed leadership opportunities for women. He also helped establish the Kalamazoo Forum, which brought together business and academic leaders to discuss communitywide issues, and the Core Council of Governments, which sought greater cooperation among Kalamazoo County municipalities.

Wen Chao Chen was born October 14, 1919, in Chen Village, Fenxi County, Shanxi Province, China. He was one of seven children. At the age of six he began working on his father’s 33-acre farm. After several years in small village elementary schools, an older brother paid for him to attend a boarding school and later an American-administered Christian missionary training center.

Before he could complete high school, however, the Japanese army invaded China, and in 1937 Chen’s family was forced to flee the fighting. For several years, he worked a series of jobs as a tax collector, medic, and newspaper proofreader, in addition to taking some college courses.

By 1943, Chen was a lieutenant in the Chinese Army assigned to translation duties with United States Army forces in China. Toward the end of World War II, he was among 100 Chinese translators sent to the U.S. for further training. When the war ended, he enrolled at Grinnell College in Iowa where he completed his bachelor’s degree in political science. He went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration and doctorate in political science, both at St. Louis University.

Later, while teaching at Kalamazoo, he earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Chicago. He also was awarded honorary degrees from Nazareth College, WMU, and Kalamazoo College.

Chen became a naturalized United States citizen in 1983.

In addition to Lilia, his wife of 62 years, Dr. Chen is survived by sons Michael (Niki) of St. Charles, Ill., and Philip (Janet Lootens Chen) of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and grandchildren Alice Chen of San Antonio, Tex.; Megan Chen of Falls Church, Va., and Dylan Chen of Ann Arbor.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the Wen Chao Chen Chair in East Asian Social Sciences at Kalamazoo College, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo, MI, 49006.

A memorial service for Dr. Wen Chao Chen will take place at Stetson Chapel on the Kalamazoo College campus at a date and time to be determined.

Kalamazoo College Receives $23 Million Grant From Arcus Foundation to Fund Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership

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CONTACT: Jeff Palmer, 269.337.5724

January 17, 2012

Kalamazoo, Mich. – Kalamazoo College has received a $23 million grant to endow the work of its Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL). The grant, made by the Arcus Foundation, will support a broad array of activities including: student scholarships and two endowed professorships, student internships and leadership development programming, faculty and staff fellowships, public lectures and conferences, local and global partnerships, and residencies for social justice scholars and practitioners.

“The breadth of the grant makes it exceptional,” said Kalamazoo College President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. “The entire Kalamazoo College community is extremely grateful to the Arcus Foundation and its founder, Jon Stryker, for their belief in the mission of the College and the Arcus Center. Their support will help put Kalamazoo on a path to become a higher education leader in the field of social justice and leadership development.”

The mission of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership is to support the pursuit of human rights and social justice by developing emerging leaders and sustaining existing leaders in the field of human rights and social justice, creating a pivotal role for liberal arts education in engendering a more just world.

It’s a mission consistent with the College’s history, liberal arts tradition, and mission to develop enlightened leaders, said President Wilson-Oyelaran.

“The Arcus Center builds on the College’s strengths in the area of academics, career development, international engagement, and independent study—all elements of each ‘K’ student’s distinctive K-Plan. When combined with other curricular and co-curricular programs such as our Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Institute for Service-Learning, our Center for International Programs, and our unique Guilds initiative, this will take the K-Plan to a new level of excellence.”

The Arcus Foundation grant is the largest grant in the College’s 179-year history, and one of the largest given for a social justice purpose to an undergraduate institution in the United States.

“I know from my own experience the emphasis that ‘K’ College places on developing global citizens who can be effective agents of transformational change,” said Jon Stryker, a Kalamazoo College alumnus and trustee, who founded the Arcus Foundation in 2000.

“Our intent in making this grant is to foster diverse leaders who advance social justice in all its dimensions – from anti-racism to economic justice to equality for all sexual orientations and gender identities. We envision ‘K’ College becoming the place to be for young people who aspire to develop the strategies and lead the work that will make our world more just and humane. This ambition maps directly to the values shared by the Foundation and the College.”

Arcus CEO Dr. Yvette C. Burton added, “Social justice is critical to our future because it maximizes the societal value and impact of advances in a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, information technology and environmental conservation. Institutions of higher learning have a tremendous role to play in advancing social justice theory and practice. Kalamazoo College’s legacy in international study, service education, and other key areas position it for leadership in this exciting field.”

Among the numerous ACSJL programs that the $23 million grant will support are:

  • two endowed faculty chairs in areas  related to social justice (currently held by John Dugas in political science and Adriana Garriga-Lopez in anthropology-sociology);
  • fellowships for “K” faculty and staff to support projects and scholarship related to social justice leadership;
  • four-year Enlightened Leadership Scholarships ($5,000 per year) awarded to one “K” student each year (currently held by sophomore Colin Lauderdale and first-year student Mariah Hennen);
  • annual Social Justice Fellowships for visiting scholars, activists, artists, thought leaders, and faculty, as a way to introduce new scholarship, energy, and social justice activity and engagement to the Kalamazoo College campus and the Kalamazoo community. (currently held by Michelle Johnson from Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative in Kalamazoo and Irfana Majumdar, a scholar/artist in experimental theater based at the NIRMAN program in Varanasi, India);
  • an annual spring lecture series (The 2012 lecturer will be playwright, author, and activist Eve Ensler, perhaps best known as the author of The Vagina Monologues.);
  • a Social Justice Leadership Fund that provides grants to students, faculty, and staff who propose innovative social justice projects and programs;
  • a summer internship program that offers qualified “K” students the opportunity to integrate social justice theory with practice as interns at social justice organizations across the United States and abroad;
  • the Catalyst Project, a community-outreach and support initiative that will provide consulting and technical support to selected Kalamazoo-area social justice organizations; and
  • the Praxis Center, an online resource center for scholars and practitioners of social justice work and leadership that will be launched later in 2012.

The grant will also fund ACSJL staff positions, including its co-directors Jaime M. Grant, executive director, and Lisa Brock, academic director.

Jaime Grant, Ph.D., has worked for more than 20 years with a variety of national and international organizations focused on social justice and human rights for women, youth, and the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community, as well as victims of sexual and domestic assault, and people living with mental illness. She’s published in major academic journals, and her commentaries have appeared broadly in the consumer press.

Lisa Brock, Ph.D., is a historian and activist who has merged her academic interest with Southern African social justice struggles. Her articles on Africa and the African Diaspora have appeared in dozens of academic journals and as book chapters. Her latest writing project is a comparative study of Afro-descended peoples in the United States and Cuba.

The Arcus Foundation and Jon Stryker have long supported Kalamazoo College. In 2009, the Foundation provided a $200,000 planning grant and a $2.1 million project grant to help launch the ACSJL. It provided a $5.6 million grant in 2008 to fund tuition and programming support for 50 students from Los Angeles public schools to attend “K” through the Posse Foundation, and a $5 million grant in 2001 to support the “K” study abroad program.

The Arcus Foundation (www.arcusfoundation.org) is a leading global foundation advancing pressing social justice and conservation issues. Specifically, Arcus works to advance LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) equality, as well as to conserve and protect the great apes. The Arcus Foundation works globally and has offices in Kalamazoo, Mich., New York City, and Cambridge, UK.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, and both international and intercultural engagement. Its 1,400 students hail from 30 states and 24 countries. Kalamazoo College does more in four years so students can do more in a lifetime.

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Kalamazoo College Unveils Preliminary Building Design For Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership

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CONTACT: Jeff Palmer, 269.337.5724

May 17, 2011

–Award-winning Studio Gang Architects create a
“unique, welcoming space” and “dynamic, accessible crossroads”–

–College moves oldest structure on campus to make way for newest–

[KALAMAZOO, Mich. – May 17, 2011] Kalamazoo College officials today unveiled the preliminary design for a new building to house the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Renderings from Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects were shown to the College community and neighbors at a campus gathering Monday. Detailed drawings will follow by fall. Construction will last an estimated 12 months. No start date has been set, however, because the College must first work its way through a campus master planning and rezoning process, which includes the new Arcus Center building.

Located at the campus’s highest elevation, on the southeast corner of Academy and Monroe streets, the Arcus Center is designed to be inviting and open, in keeping with other recent renovations on campus, most notably Hicks Student Center (completed in 2009) and Upjohn Library Commons (2005).

“We’re very excited to release early images of what will be a unique, welcoming structure,” said Kalamazoo President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. “These drawings reflect the creative and collaborative process we are going through to create a space in which current and future social justice leaders will collaborate to research and learn. We are so very pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with Studio Gang on this project.”

The one-story building will be approximately 9,500 square feet and serve as an interactive space for the College and the community. Three gently arcing exterior walls define the structure’s central gathering space and embrace the surrounding landscape. Michigan-sourced white cedar will be used to construct the wood masonry exterior. Large expanses of glass at the ends of the three arcs and clerestory glazing will bring light and views of the surrounding landscape into the interior. The building will incorporate a range of green building strategies and expects to attain a LEED rating.

The Studio Gang team, led by the firm’s founder and principal, Jeanne Gang, has visited Kalamazoo numerous times since summer 2010. “We’ve met with ‘K’ students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as some local residents and community partners in a creative, deliberative process,” said Gang. “Our goal is to create a dynamic, accessible space where interaction is facilitated and ideas shared.”

Kalamazoo College’s newest building will rise on the site of its oldest, Hoben House, a two-story brick home constructed in 1925 by then Kalamazoo College President Allan Hoben. It was his residence and home to successive “K” presidents until 1978, when it became headquarters of the L. Lee Stryker Center for Management Studies and Educational Services. A two-story frame addition constructed in 1985 included meeting rooms, offices and an outside deck. After the Stryker Center closed in 2007, the building housed a succession of campus programs and offices.

The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership was slated to move into the Hoben/Stryker building, but renovation options fell short of the Center’s needs. In summer 2010, founder and president of the Arcus Foundation and “K” College alumnus Jon Stryker pledged funds for a new building. Rather than raze the existing structure, the College identified private landowners who were willing to move the original Hoben House to their nearby off-campus lot. The College has removed the 1985 addition and Hoben House is due to be moved to its new location on the corner of South and Monroe streets by June 1.

The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (https://reason.kzoo.edu/csjl) is a new initiative by Kalamazoo College, launched in 2009 with a two-year, $2.1 million grant from the Arcus Foundation (www.arcusfoundation.org). Supporting Kalamazoo College’s mission to prepare graduates who provide enlightened leadership to an interconnected and increasingly complex world, and responding to the need for development of engaged citizens who have the abilities to envision and create a socially just world, the Arcus Center will develop new leaders and sustain existing leaders in the field of human rights and social justice.

Founded by Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in 1997, Studio Gang is a rising international practice whose work confronts pressing contemporary issues. Conceived as a collective of architects, designers, and thinkers, the studio acts as a lab for testing ideas on varying scales: from cities to environments to individual buildings’ unique material properties. The firm’s provocative and alluring architecture is exemplified by such recent projects such as the Aqua Tower (2009 Emporis Skyscraper of the Year), Columbia College Chicago’s Media Production Center (a cutting-edge film production and teaching facility), and the Lincoln Park Zoo South Pond (an educational pavilion and landscape that is quickly becoming a new Chicago landmark). Studio Gang’s work has received national and international recognition and has been published and exhibited widely, most notably at the International Venice Biennale, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Building Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the “K-Plan,” which emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, and both international and intercultural engagement. “K” College has approximately 1,370 students from 38 states and 31 countries; nearly 20 percent are students of color.

Approximately 85 percent of Kalamazoo students participate in a meaningful, immersive international and intercultural experience at more than 50 programs in 25 countries on six continents; more than two-thirds complete an internship or externship; more than half participate in course-based or student-led co-curricular service-learning projects; and all students engage in a Senior Individualized Project, an in-depth research or creative project done in the senior year.

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New Vice President Appointed at Kalamazoo College

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CONTACT: Jeff Palmer, 269.337.5724

Nov. 30, 2010

Kalamazoo College has appointed Albert J. DeSimone vice president for college advancement. DeSimone brings more than 25 years of higher education development and management experience to Kalamazoo, where he will lead the College’s fundraising, alumni relations, and communications offices. Among his responsibilities will be overseeing annual gift giving and directing the College’s comprehensive campaign initiative begun in March 2010. He begins work at “K” January 3, 2011.

From 1993 to 2008, DeSimone served as vice president for development at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. In this role, he conducted two highly successful comprehensive campaigns that raised more than $207 million and significantly increased unrestricted giving to the college. For the past 18 months, he has focused on securing major gifts toward strategic priorities such as renovating Old Main, Augustana’s signature building, constructed in 1889.

“I have great respect for Kalamazoo College and its commitment to innovative liberal arts education, as exemplified by the K-Plan,” said DeSimone. “I look forward to working with President Wilson-Oyelaran and the entire “K” community to increase the resources that will help fulfill this commitment and prepare students to engage the global community.”

Prior to joining Augustana, DeSimone served in a variety of development roles at Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago, ranging initially from securing corporate grants to eventually managing day-to-day fund-raising and alumni relations programs. He also planned and implemented a comprehensive campaign that raised more than $92 million.

“I am thrilled to welcome Al DeSimone to Kalamazoo College,” said President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. “He has a depth of knowledge and a breadth of experience that make him an excellent fit for the College. We have bold plans to prepare ‘K’ students to engage in the global community. Al will play a key role in securing the philanthropic support and building the relationships that will help make these plans a reality.”

DeSimone earned a B.A. degree from Elmhurst College in 1977. He and his wife, Lynne, have two sons, ages 21 and 18.

He replaces Victoria Gorrell, who left Kalamazoo in October to become vice president for development and alumni relations at University of Northern Colorado.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college, and the creator of the “K-Plan” that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, and both international and intercultural engagement.

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Kalamazoo College Readies for Homecoming 2010

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CONTACT: Jim VanSweden, 269.337.7291

(KALAMAZOO, Michigan) A record high 1,000 alumni and guests have registered to attend the 2010 Homecoming Weekend at Kalamazoo College, Oct. 15-17. All alumni are invited, and special reunion events are being planned for class years that end in 0 and 5. This year’s Homecoming Weekend will also include Emeritus Club reunions for the classes of 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, and 1960.

A full schedule of events is available at www.kzoo.edu/homecoming. Reunion highlights include: a 5K run/walkthrough campus and surrounding neighborhoods; a Professional Development Institute that connects “K” alumni to current students in order to help students prepare for “life after ‘K’”; a “College Update” with President Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran; a showcase of student documentary films; a poetry reading by professors Di Seuss and Gail Griffin; tours of the College’s 60-acre campus near downtown Kalamazoo, 140-acre Lillian Anderson Arboretum in Oshtemo Township, and A.M. Todd Rare Book Room in Upjohn Library Commons; countless alumni gatherings on campus and around Kalamazoo; receptions featuring current and former “K” faculty; alumni soccer and volleyball games; and, yes, a football game (Kalamazoo “Hornets” vs. Olivet, 1:00 Saturday at Angell Field).

The annual Alumni Association Awards Ceremony (Friday, 7:30 pm, Dalton Theatre, Light Fine Arts Building) honors several “K” alumni and employees for their distinguished achievement, service, athletic accomplishment, and contribution to the College. This year’s award recipients are:

Larry Bell ’80, recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award presented to alumni in recognition of their excellence and achievement in their professional field. Bell is president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, one of country’s oldest and most successful microbreweries, and a recognized leader in the craftbrewing industry. Beginning in 1983 with $200 as a birthday present from his mother, and investment funds and in-kind support from numerous individuals, Bell now presides over a company that sells more than 150,000 barrels of beer annually in 18 states—and is poised for even greater growth. Larry has also participated in a number of alumni panel discussions for students, hosted class reunions for his classmates, and provided significant funding for the Farms to K local foods initiative, and other College initiatives.

Jon Stryker ’82, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award presented to a person that has made exceptional personal contributions to the College and has performed effectively in leadership positions. Stryker is president and founder of the Arcus Foundation that works to achieve social justice that is inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity, and race, and to ensure conservation and respect of the great apes. An architect by training, his generous support has helped sustain many of the College’s most distinctive programs and highest priorities including study abroad and enrollment diversity. Most recently the Arcus Foundation has provided the funding and vision to establish the College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, whose mission is to support the pursuit of human rights and social justice by developing emerging leaders and sustaining existing leaders in the field of human rights and social justice. Stryker also serves on the College’s board of trustees.

Kim Cummings, professor emeritus of sociology, recipient of the Weimer K. Hicks Award that honors current or retired employees who have provided significant long-term contribution to the College. Officially retired from Kalamazoo College in 2007, Cummings’ legacy as a teacher, mentor, and friend to generations of “K” students continues to this day. Having spent nearly four decades teaching sociology at Kalamazoo, Kim not only taught students the fundamentals of the subject, but through such classes at “Building Blocks” and “How to Change the World” he also introduced them to a world of citizen activism and service-learning beyond the confines of College’s Academy Street campus.

Athletic Hall of Fame inductees include several student athletes, coaches, and teams that have attained distinction at the College. These include: Harry Rapley ’38 (Football, Basketball, Track and Field), Hardy Fuchs ’68 (Soccer Coach),Dennis Kane ’75 (Football), Jim Hosner ’78 (Tennis), Emily Trahan ’03 (Volleyball), the 1976 and 1978 Men’s Tennis Teams, and the 1988 Men’s Soccer Team.

Jane (Hunter) Parker ’48, Tom Smith ’55 and Mary Lou (Schofield) Smith ’55, and Karen (Lake) De Vos ’59 each received a 2010 Emeritus Club Citation of Merit award by demonstrating their affection for Kalamazoo College through their loyalty, involvement, and service to the College; their continued financial support; and their civic, church, school, and community activities that reflect credit upon the College.

Founded in Kalamazoo in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the “K-Plan” that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, and both international and intercultural engagement.

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Kalamazoo College Selects Jaime Grant as Executive Director for Its Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership

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CONTACT: Jim VanSweden, 269.337.7291

June 28, 2010

(KALAMAZOO, Michigan) June 28, 2010 – After a national search, Kalamazoo College has named Jaime M. Grant, Ph.D., as executive director of its Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL). She will begin her duties September 1.

Grant has worked for more than 20 years with a variety of national and international organizations focused on social justice and human rights for women, youth, and the LGBT community, as well as victims of sexual and domestic assault, and the mentally ill.

The Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (https://reason.kzoo.edu/csjl) is a new initiative by Kalamazoo College, launched in 2009 with a two-year, $2.1 million grant from the Arcus Foundation (www.arcusfoundation.org). Its purpose is to explore, cultivate, and engage in the study and practice of social justice leadership.

“We are very excited to have someone of Jaime Grant’s caliber and range of experience join Kalamazoo College,” said “K” President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. “She has a deep passion and demonstrated commitment to social justice, and a substantial record of accomplishment as a leader who can foster collaboration and a sense of shared purpose. In her role as the executive director, Dr. Grant will provide leadership as Kalamazoo College works to become recognized nationally and internationally as the place to look for original thinking about social justice and social justice leadership.”

Since Nov. 2007, Grant has served as director of the Policy Institute at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the nation’s premiere LGBT think tank located in Washington, D.C. Before that, she was Program Director for “Leadership for a Changing World” (LCW) at The Advocacy Institute, also in Washington. LCW is the Ford Foundation’s signature leadership awards program, and recognizes and supports community leaders across America who are effectively tackling tough social issues.

“I’m thrilled to join Kalamazoo College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership,” said Grant. “Kalamazoo’s tradition of combining top-quality, liberal arts academics with experiential learning makes it an ideal place to establish a first-of-its-kind academy-based social justice leadership center.

“The new center will add value to a ‘K’ education, while fueling social change efforts in the U.S. and abroad, and nurturing the next generation of leaders,” she said.

Grant has published in major academic journals and her commentaries have appeared broadly in popular publications and the consumer press. Her recent work at the Task Force has included a national Census advocacy campaign, and a policy paper on issues of aging facing the LGBT aging community. The projects she is currently completing include a visioning document for advocates working on family policy.

Grant has a bachelor’s degree in economics and government from Wesleyan University, a master’s degree in women’s studies from Bucknell University, and a Ph.D. in women’s studies from The Union Institute, where she served as director from 1993 to 2000.

Her duties at Kalamazoo College will include maintaining and augmenting the vision for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, while overseeing a range of programs, developing international and domestic partnerships, and working with College faculty, staff, and students on innovative projects and practices in social justice leadership.

Current programming to support the ACSJL mission includes project grants for “K” faculty, staff, and students; fellowships for “K” and visiting faculty; and a series of lectures and “convenings” in which visiting social justice leaders interact with members of the “K” campus and greater Kalamazoo community.

Founded in Kalamazoo in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the “K-Plan” that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, and both international and intercultural engagement.

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Kalamazoo College Receives $400,000 Grant From W.K. Kellogg Foundation

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CONTACT: Jeff Palmer, 269.337.5724

April 9, 2010

Grant will help fund College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership
 activities and associate director position

Kalamazoo, Mich. (April 9, 2010) — Kalamazoo College has received a $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that will assist in the planning, development, and implementation of the curricula, programming, and learning opportunities for the College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. The grant will also fund, for three years, the position of associate director at the Center.

Donna Lartigue, a former Kellogg Foundation program director, has been hired to fill the associate director position beginning May 1. She will be responsible for helping to carry out the goals of the Kellogg Foundation grant and assisting Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Interim Director Carol Anderson in day-to-day operations until a permanent executive director and academic director are hired. Nationwide searches for both are underway. Candidates are being interviewed and selections will be announced later this spring.

Currently in its first year of operation, Kalamazoo College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership offers lectures by individuals who are recognized nationally and internationally for their work in the field of social justice; short-term residencies for scholars, artists, and activists who will interact with the campus and the local community; opportunities for the development of new courses and leadership programs in the area of social justice and human rights; and conferences that address major issues related to the creation of a more just world.

A kickoff lecture—open to the public—will be held Tuesday April 13 at 8 p.m. in Dalton Theatre in the Light Fine Arts Building on the Kalamazoo College campus. Joia Mukherjee, M.D., medical director of Partners in Health will speak on the topic “Learning from Haiti: Relief and Long-Term Partnerships in the Developing World.” Partners in Health was founded in 1987 by Paul Farmer, M.D. Dr. Mukherjee has spent much of the past three months in Haiti helping to mobilize grassroots community health workers and rebuild the capacity of Haiti’s public sector to provide health care and other essential social services.

From 2003-09, Donna Lartigue served as a program director with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, leading its hometown grant making initiatives and providing support to its civic engagement, nonprofit effectiveness, and women’s philanthropy programming. She was a senior program officer at Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City from 1991-2002, where she led its comprehensive high school reform and school-to-work program investments. Prior to that, she worked for the Missouri State Department of Economic Development, the City of Springfield (Mo.) Job Council of the Ozarks, and as a middle school teacher in Augusta, Georgia.

Established in 1930, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa. For further information, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.wkkf.org.

Founded in Kalamazoo in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the “K-Plan” that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning through practice, service learning, international and intercultural engagement, and a senior independent project.

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Living Sport: Kalamazoo College Event Gathers Nationally-Renowned Sports Entrepreneurs

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CONTACT: Jim Van Sweden, 269.337.7291

April 6, 2010

[KALAMAZOO, Mich.] A Kalamazoo College liberal arts student is likely to know Sun Tzu and the CEOs and coaches who cite The Art of War in business management and sports. Whether such broad liberal arts learning is an advantage when it comes to making a living in the business of sports will be among the subjects of a panel discussion titled “Careers in Sports Business.” The event features six prominent panelists (some available for media interviews) and occurs Monday, April 19, at 7 PM in Dewing Hall Room 103.

A quarter of “K” students participate in intercollegiate athletics, and the school’s economics and business major is among its three most popular. Panelists will share their pathways to their current positions; discuss present and future business opportunities in sports management; explore the importance of mentorship and networking for gaining a foothold in the business of athletics; speculate on counterfactual “what-ifs” in their careers; and provide key advice for soon-to-be graduates seeking careers that connect their interests in sports and business.

Panelists, half of whom are Kalamazoo College alumni, include Charles Tucker (Class of 1956), president and CEO of The Sports Network; Storm T. Kirschenbaum, president of Metis Sports Management; Kathy DeBoer, executive director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association; Timon Corwin (Class of 1986), United States Tennis Association senior director of junior and collegiate competition; Kurt David, bestselling sports author and transition consultant for professional and Olympic athletes; and Jeff Pellegrom (Class of 1988), executive vice president and chief financial officer of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment.

Timon Corwin is an eight-time All-American in singles and doubles with the Kalamazoo College men’s team (1983-86). He led the 1986 squad to a NCAA Division III team championship title. He completed a post-graduate fellowship in Bonn, Germany, in 1987 and earned his law degree (Marquette University School of Law) in 1992. He was head coach for the Kalamazoo College men’s tennis team from 1993 to 2007, and his teams finished third or higher in the nation six times. He was named Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year (1997) and Midwest Regional Coach of the Year (1999). Today he is senior director for the junior and collegiate competition for United States Tennis Association Player Development. This year he also will direct the U.S. Open Junior Championships and the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.

Kurt A. David is the bestselling author of From Glory Days, a book that chronicles the transition of 20 professional athletes from their playing days to life after sports. David graduated (B.A., Elementary Education) from Saginaw Valley State University and earned a M.A. (counseling) from Central Michigan University. He played professional basketball in Europe. He has appeared on radio and television and in a number of articles. He is a nationally certified sports counselor who works with professional and Olympic athletes as they transition to life outside of sports. He is the host and producer of From Glory Days television program.

Kathy DeBoer has been executive director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association since 2006, and during her tenure AVCA membership has grown by 36 percent and annual convention attendance has increased by nearly 30 percent. Prior to AVCA she spent 23 years in intercollegiate athletics, 18 of them at University of Kentucky as head volleyball coach and senior associate athletic director. She holds a B.A. (Humanities, Michigan State University) and M.B.A. (University of Kentucky). She’s a nationally known public speaker on the impact of gender in competitive behavior in business and sports settings and the author of Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently.

Sports attorney Storm Kirschenbaum formed Metis Sports Management, LLC, in 2007. The firm represents and markets professional football and baseball players (Kirschenbaum himself has represented nearly 100 professional athletes). Kirschenbaum won a scholarship from then number-one-ranked University of Florida, where he played with David Eckstein (San Diego Padres), Brad Wilkerson (Boston Red Sox), Mark Ellis (Oakland Athletics), and Josh Fogg (Colorado Rockies). He played his final two collegiate seasons at Division I Long Island University-C.W. Post. He holds a B.A. (political science, magna cum laude) and a J.D. (University of Detroit Mercy School of Law). At Mercy he was president of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society. He served three years as vice president of Integrity Sports Player Representation, Inc., and co-founded the Michigan Boxing Hall of Fame. He is a board member of the Inner City Exposure Foundation.

Jeff Pellegrom serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment (MSE), which owns and controls the Minnesota Wild Hockey Club and the Houston Aeros Hockey Club.  MSE also manages all events at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Pellegrom oversees the finance, human resources, information technology and legal departments for the company.  He graduated from Kalamazoo College (magna cum laude) with degrees in economics and mathematics.  He worked for the Brookings Institution, 3M, Holderbank, and SC Johnson, before taking a position 2 years ago with MSE.  He is married to fellow Kalamazoo College graduate Mary Kruger Pellegrom (Class of 1988), and they have four children.

The Bronx born and reared Charles Tucker, a.k.a. Mickey Charles, is the founder of The Sports Network, the world’s largest independently owned supplier of sports scores and information, with more than 2,000 outlets in the world. He launched that business 27 years ago from his kitchen, and like all great athletes, has never rested on his laurels. Today TSN is expanding geographically (into China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Algeria, among others) and technologically (complementing its saturation of websites by expanding to the mobile phone). He developed his competitive fire on the “city game’s” New York asphalt courts (where “no autopsy, no foul” was the rule). He transferred to Kalamazoo College from Columbia University and played for two seasons on the Hornet basketball team. He was named team captain his senior season, and led that squad to a 14-9 record and a second place finish in the MIAA conference. He earned his law degree (Brooklyn Law School) and began a career as a sports columnist for several newspapers and magazines (including the Philadelphia Inquirer), as a television sports talk-show host (for CBS and later ESPN), as a college English Professor (St. Joseph College in Philadelphia) and then, in 1983, as the founder of a sports scores telephone service that evolved into TSN. He is a popular public speaker who was once offered a contract as an opening-act stand-up comedian.

Founded in Kalamazoo in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the “K-Plan” that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, and both international and intercultural engagement.

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